Cup support and drain



June 3, 1952 s. D. LEVINGS CUP SUPPORT AND DRAIN Filed May 17, 1947 izvexzZvr: Serbumefi L Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUP SUPPORT AND DRAIN Sherburne D. Lcvings, Winnetka, Il1., assignor to The Bastian-Blessing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 17, 1947, Serial No. 748,819

4 Claims. a 1

This invention relates. generally to beverage dispensing apparatus and more particularly to an improved device for holding a paper cup during filling by an automatic cupped beverage dispenser.

Beverage vending machines which dispense a paper cup of a carbonated beverage each time a coin is deposited therein have recently come into quite wide use. In such devices cups are enerally stored in the upper pa of e cab and dropped to a position below a filling spout to be filled with beveragesyrup and carbonated water mixing occurring in the cup as the ingredients pour in. In order to insure that mixing is complete it is necessary that the liquids now into the. cup with considerable velocity to produce suffieient agitation.

When the cup is filled. the vendee reaches into an opening provided in the wall of the cabinet and removes the cup. Heretofore the problem of how to support the cup during filling so that the velocity of the liquid streams will not upset it. and still have the cup accessible for easy removal has not been solved. Some attempts to provide a supporting framework of wire or other material have been made but it, is generally awkward to remove the cup when this is done.

One object of this invention is, therefore to provide a means for supporting the cup during filling which will hold it securely against upsetting and still will not interfere with removal ofv the cup when filled, it being necessary, only for the vendee to grasp the cup and withdraw it from the support with a single straight line motion.

In view of the fact that dispensers of the class described occasionally become out of adjustment and deliver more liquid than a cup will hold, it is essential that a drain be provided beneath the cup to carry away excess liquid dispensed during the filling cycle as well as drippings from the spigot or nozzle after the cup is removed.

Another object is to provide. a. cup. support having a, novel drain arrangement .associated therewith, all portions of which may be. readily removed for cleaning.

A further object is to provide av fiat. drain board surface below the cup. supporting means which will hold the cup in the proper relationship to the filling nozzle in the, event that the cup is not retained on the support.

shielding of the vendee against splashing as well as serving to confine any overflow to the rear portion of the cup and thereby improving the appearance of the cup of beverage after filling.

Other and additional objects and advantages of this invention will present themselves to those familiar with the art on reading the following specification in conjunction with the drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the cup support and drain mechanism of this invention partially in section.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the manner in which the drain mechanism is removed for cleaning.

Fig. 3 is a-horizontal section taken on 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. i is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,.

A beverage dispenser of the type with which the cup support of this invention is adapted for use is disclosed in the application of Raymond E. Fredrick, Serial No. 737,025, filed March 55, 1947, now abandoned, reference to which is hereby made.

The cup support of this invention is adapted line for use in any dispenser wherein paper cups are A further object is to provide a cup support.

which, will hold the cup at. an angle with respect tel-the, vendee so thatthe forward side; of the. cup, is slightly higher than the back. resulting in a.

dropped into a station which is both accessiblev to the vendee and below the filling nozzle.

For the purposes of illustration, the support 10 is shown to be fastened to a cylindrical tube II which extends upwardly tothe cup storage space and dropping mechanism (not shown. The drain elements 12- are supported on a. concave plate l3 carried by the dispenser; which plate is disposed below the cup support H The filling nozzle l4, connected. to the; dispensing mechanism (not shown) extends through the back side of the cup support lll so thatliquid flowing out of the nozzle M will be caught in a cup i5 retained bythe support Ill:

The cup support 10,. which is removabiy secured to the tube H by a. bayonet joint indicated at [6 between the tube H and a collar t! at:- tached to the support, comprises a cylinder 18 of tubing having a. U-shaped opening 28 in its rear. side for the nozzle [t and a cutaway port1on 2|. on its; front face for removal of the cup 15. A pair of inclined lugs 22: or proi'eeti'ons extend inwardly from the side walls. of the cyl inder t8 onopposite sides. A sloping lug 2 3 on the; front of the cylinder t8: likewise extendsinward-ly'. r 1

The function of the cup support l0 istas folshown) is actuated, a single cup I5 is released and drops down the tube Since the base of the cup I5 is smaller than the top portion and the tube II is of larger diameter than the cup I5, the cup I5 falls freely until the lip I5a strikes the top of the sloping lug 23. Friction between the lip |5a and the lug 23 causes the cup I5 to rotate slightly, the rear side becoming lower than the front. Simultaneously the cup I5 is pushed rearwardly until it comes to rest in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the lip a being supported by the two lugs 22. 22 are inclined slightly to the horizontal, the cup I5 is canted rearwardly at an angle of approximately 10, its rear top edge being below the bottom of the nozzle I4. 1 V

The dispenser mechanism (not shown) is then actuated to cause carbonated water to flow out of the nozzle I4 along with the syrup which flows through the central tube I4a. When the cup is filled, the flow is shutoff, and the vendee withdrawsthe 0111) by placing his thumb onone sideand fingers on the other at points just beends of the lugs22.- l After the filled cup I5 has been removed, the support is clear to receive another cup I5 when the next drink is purchased. Should the cup dropping mechanism (not shown) fail to function properly and drop two cups I5 at one time, the second cup will fall into the first and not interfere with the dispensing function;

In order to provide forfoverfilling of a cup I5 or dripping from the nozzle I4 after the cup I5 is'removed, a removable drain arrangement I2 is provided IThe concave plate I3 supported by'the 'dispenser receives a'pan 24 which is slightly smaller than the plate I 3 so as to fit snugly therein. The

rearside 25 of the pan'24 extends upwardly to a point slightly below the bottom of the cylinder I8, the extension serving as an apron to prevent spattering of the beverage onto those parts of the dispenser behind the drain elements I2." A'short curved-tube 26 extends from the interior of the pan 24 through a slot 21 provided in the plate I3 to a drain conduit 28 which may lead directly'to a sewer or to a containermot shown) in the bottom of the dispenserf -A flange ring 30 is secured to theinside o:- the side wall'of'the pan 24 for the purpose or supporting either a' wire screen 3| or a louvered plate (not shown). This screen 3| fits loosely into'the pan 24'soas .to be readily removable. A drip tube 32 is fast'ened'to the screen 3| at its back side and extends upwardly perpendicular to 'the screen 3|. The upper end of the drip tube 32 .is preferably located as close as possible, without interfering with the cup I5, to the bottom of the 'nozzle'll4 .in a' position to catch all drippings from the nozzle I4 and carry them to the pan 24 at a point below the screen3 I. .Thus it will be seen that the pan'24 as'well as the screen 3| are readily separable from the cleaning.

Since the lugs It is important that the screen 3| be located at a point close to the bottom of the cup I5 when it is retained on the lugs 22 of the cup support I0, for should acup I5 not be retained on the lugs 22 or drop' away when partially filled it will land in the screen 3| and be supported in an upright position in proper relationship with the nozzle I4 so that liquid flowing from the nozzle I4 will be'caught in the cup I5.

It is preferred that all parts of the cup support I0 and drain l2 be formed of stainless steel,

however nickel or chromium plated brass serve equally well, either welding or brazing being employed to join 'the various pieces together.

- In some instances it has been found desirable to form the lugs 22 and 23 on the cylinder I8 by bending the walls of the cylinder I8 inwardly to produce the required surfaces. In other cases the lugs 22 have been omitted and the bottom cylinder I8 cut off on an angle parallel to the desired position of the cup I5, the rear portions of the bottom ofrthe cylinder being rolled inwardly to form a bead which supports the lip |5a on the cup in. the same manner as do the lugs 22 in the present embodiment.

Other and additional changes and modifications to the preferred embodiment herein described wil1, of course, occur to those familiar with the art and may be made without departing from thespirit of this invention whose scope is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 3 P

1. In a-cupped beverage dispenser the combination including a filling nozzle inclined at an angle with the vertical, a vertical tube for conveying cups one at a time from a storage space to a position below said nozzle, a projection on the inside of said tube disposed at a point below said nozzle, said projection being slightly inclined to the horizontal, the ends of said projection' adjacent said nozzle being lowermost, and acutaway portionon the side of saidtube opposite said nozzle below said inclined projection for withdrawal of a cup retained on said projection after being filled by' said nozzle.

2. In a cupped beverage dispenser the combination including a filling: nozzle, a tubefor conveying cups one at a time from a storage space to'aposition below saidnozzle, a projection on the inside of said tube disposedat a point below said nozzl'e 'said projection being inclined to the horizontal, the ends of said projection adjacent said nozzle being lowermost,- and a cutaway portion on the side of'said tube opposite said nozzle for withdrawal of a cup retained on s-aid-projection after being filled by said nozzle. Y I I 3. In a beverage dispenser the combination including a filling nozzle-inclined at an angle with the vertical, means for conveying cups one at a time from aistorage space to;a position be: low said nozzle, a" fixedsupport for holding a, cup in said position below'said nozzle, said support being carried by said means and so arranged as to align the cup for filling with ref-' erence to said nozzle ata slight angle, with the side'adjacent to the-nozzlefslightly lower than the opposite side, and an opening in said means opposite said nozzle permitting the cup to be withdrawn from said support after filling-said fixed support being the sole means for retaining said cup in filling position. w

4. a' beverage dispenser fthe combinationin-t eluding a filling nozzle inclined at .an,ai1gle with,

the vertical, means for conveying cups one at p 2,598,665 5 6 a time from a storage space to a position below said nozzle, a support for holding a. cup in REFERENCES CITED said position below said nozzle, said support be- The following references are of record in the ing inclined so as to align the cup for filling with file 0f thlS patent! the side adjacent to said nozzle slightly lower 5 UNI STATES P NT than the opposite side, and an opening in the conveying means disposed opposite said nozzle g g f gi fii gg g ggg ggig of the cup from Send Support 2,426,707 Polsen et a1 Sept. 2, 1947 SHERBURNE D. LEVINGS. m 

